Testicular Cancer Symptoms and Signs

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

Cancer of
the testicles (testicular cancer) is an
uncommon condition that accounts for only about 1% of all cancers in men. Each year, approximately 8,000 new cases of
testicular cancer will occur in the U.S., leading to approximately 360 deaths.

Doctors do not know the exact cause of testicular cancer, but a number of risk
factors for development of this disease have been identified. Young men between
the ages of 15 and 39 are most often affected. White men are affected more than men of other races, although the disease can
occur in men of any age and race,
including children. Men who have an undescended testicle (termed
cryptorchidism), even
if surgery has been performed to remedy the condition, have an increased risk
for the development of testicular cancer. Other risk factors include the genetic
condition known as Klinefelter's syndrome, abnormal
development of the testicles, and having relatives with testicular cancer.

Testicular cancer is highly curable when detected early, and 95% of patients
with testicular cancer are alive after a five-year period. However, about half
of men with testicular cancer do not seek treatment until the cancer has spread
beyond the testicles to other locations in the body (as in the case of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong).

Most testicular cancers are
found by men themselves. There is no routine standard for screening for testicular cancer, since screening programs have not shown a decrease in mortality (death rate) from the condition. However, some men choose to perform an examination of
their testicles once a month (referred to as TSE or testicular self-examination) to facilitate detection of testicular cancer in its early,
treatable stage. The TSE involves gentle examination of the testicles, one at a
time, holding each testicle between the thumb (on top) and middle and index fingers below. Look for
any small, hard lumps within the testicles or changes in the feel of the
testicles.